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Trevor, I am not calling for your death. Read on.
I realize today’s comic may not bring side-splitting laughs. Granted, taking a few shots at the neckbeard rage nerds out there always brings a bit of a smile to my face but that may not be the healthiest laugh possible
Today is one of the rare days where I try to get a point across or vent about something that is on my mind. The case in point today are the forums over on the Wizards of the Coast site and the new section for D&D Next. Not surprising to anyone, the trolls are swimming around over there bitching about pretty much anything that comes up regarding the new edition. Keep in mind here, 99% of us have not seen the first stat block and already these people are burning the house down. I’m not surprised it’s happening, I am surprised it is happening so quickly. This game is nowhere near it’s release and already booger eaters are swearing they’ll never buy a WotC or D&D product again. Seriously?
Now, I don’t want those who aren’t thrilled about the new edition to think I am lumping everyone into the same category. I’m not. The folks who speak their minds like adults, use punctuation, and subscribe to good grammar? Bravo. I love to chat with you even if we do not see eye-to-eye. I am referring to the people who rage for the sake of raging. The basement dwelling, stereotypes who hide behind screen names and their mothers skirts while calling people everything but human. I refer to the dregs. The trolls. The people who complain about WotC reprinting 1st-edition material to raise money for a Gary Gygax memorial.
You know? Gary Gygax? One of the guys responsible for laying the groundwork for all of this? You’re bitching about a memorial in his honor while playing a game he created? I have a special vintage of profanity for people like you but I will bite my lip this time. This time. Today’s comic isn’t about that.
This comic is my own way of saying thank you to folks like Trevor Kidd and all of the WotC crew who are breaking their necks to pull back the curtain and exchange ideas with all of us to make the best game possible. Not a game to please everyone. The best game possible. I do not envy the monumental task laid before guys like Trevor (who reads and interacts with a lot of folks on Twitter, etc.) and I am not speaking to the lame ideas he must read but equally all of the good ideas. There can be too much of a good thing and I have no doubt that when this is all said and done, WotC will have enough quality input for 3 different games if they so choose. All of you are made of sterner stuff than I am.
That said, I say thank you to the Wizards of the Coast for lowering your guard and letting us in. I have to believe it will only lead to a better game for all of us.
Brian
The pre-sale for the new hoodie ends today as well!
It’s dangerous to go alone into the forums.
Take this.
http://blogs.gamerassembly.net/2012/01/dd-4e-comment-thread-bingo/
BINGO! and I just stuck to ONE forum post!
You win!
I have witnessed the sacking of the Wizards’ forum. It is as you describe.
@Brian: Good post. I’m reading very little of what’s on the forums for exactly this reason. Too much nerdrage and piss-poor grammar to try to slog through. The Hate gets overwhelming.
@Draco: Great find! 🙂
I was no lover of 4e back in the 3.5->4e transition (I have mellowed in my opinion over the years as I have been exposed to new and different RPGs) and even I abandoned most forums during the time. Open and public forums are both the best and worst things that the internet has to offer and if I were one of the mods at WotC I’d use the banhammer like its warranty was about to expire.
I have played ever version of D&D and you can have fun with all of them. A Doppelganger rogue in 4E presents itself with MANY roleplaying situations and allows you to seed chaos unending! JOY
They’ll take the Magic Online forums over my dead moderatorship.
See, now you’ve told them what they have to do! Never expose your weakness like that! 😉
Bubba! I wasn’t aware you even know what D&D was! I thought all that grey matter was taken up by Magic. =P
You don’t remember me asking to be in the virtual table beta back when 4E was first released? I am disappoint.
I have been in D&D heaven for quite some time. =P
@Brian: Awesomesauce! The whole design team really could be seen as the fellowship of next, lead by the Monte the Grey…
P.S. This is also why I avoid forums like the plaque.
Where’s the +1 button? Did I miss the +1 button? I LMAO at the comic. It’s funny ’cause it’s true. If the nerd-trolls didn’t have anything to bitch about, they’d probably have one look at their pathetic lives and go crawl in a corner and die. I have mixed feelings about that.
On the contrary Brian. This comic made me laugh so hard I nearly pissed myself. Home-fucking-run, my friend.
Great points, and well made. It is one reason that I tend to stick to blogs these days instead of forums. Publishing a blog requires a certain minimum level of effort that weeds out the worst of the trolls.
I have enormous respect for the WotC crew. I sincerely applaud what they are doing. But, I don’t want to get anywhere near it.
Suddenly find myself re-writing the lyrics to Adele’s Rolling in the Deep. I took a peek into the WOTC forums the other day and had to retreat.
The Internet is a great place to share ideas, but when you start working on something so many people have a passion for … you should probably do this in another fashion. Forums usually draw in the worst people you can find on the Internet.
I don’t know what their plan is from here on out, but when Monte started talking about discussing a lot of mechanics with the guys from Crafty Games, my respect jumped for DnD Next. I’m still largely skeptical that it will survive in an environment of rampant fanboyism and piracy, and I have a sneaky suspicion that we’ll see 6E a year after Next is out there.
What a great webcomic, and totally true for so many forums. I used to read and partake in the forum @ cyberpunkreview.com because it was fun to discuss fiction, the future, etc. but I got turned away twice (yeah I offered the other cheek) because there may have been 5-10 people capable of real discussion and there were always the same trolls and flamers tearing anything you said down.
I love that comic. Great job!
We have a French expression “tourne ta langue 7 fois dans ta bouche avant de parler.†It means that you need to think before speaking. The literal translation would be “turn your tongue 7 times in your mouth before speaking.â€
Wait… they’re reprinting first edition stuff? Where?!?… must buy to contribute to fund!!!
http://www.wizards.com/ContentResources/Wizards/Sales/Solicitations/2012_04_17_dd_1stED_Solicitation_en_US.pdf
Awesome as always. Can’t wait for my hoody to arrive!
I too, can’t imagine being so staunchly against the 1e reprint, but people are crazy.
THIS is your best strip to date. There must be something in the water today… You have earned INFINITE OREGANO:
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/alttext/2008/06/alttext_0618
THIS.
That is so weird to see the name of someone I work with used in a web comic!
This would make a fantastic d20 Modern/Call of Cthulhu adventure. The fear, the lurking horror, the crushed optimism…. all great stuff.
Love the comic, etc etc :p.
I wont understand why people would complain about the reprinting of 1e material I’ve never seen anything 1e, but it’s not like it would harm me if it is reprinted. I wont walk down the aisle of a book store, see 1e reprints, drop to my knees and scream, “WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME, PELOR?!” Unless they shove the reprints in my face, it’ll be like they dont even exist for me.
Sadly, some people + internet = redrum rage. Whether they are sincere in their complaints/raging or are just being useless trolls, they make forums less desirable. I stopped going to the Bungie forums because of how bad some members were. I still go on the D&D WotC forums, though, because I enjoy reading SOME topics regarding D&D Next and the DM & Player forums. There is some great discussion and debate on forums, but any of it will easily get swamped by the trolls and ragenerds.
While not crapping on the work they’re doing…. It their job. It’s what they’re contracted and paid to do.
Personally I hope they do a limited reprint. As much as it’s a revenue exercise (as what businesses do). It was a great system, and I need a couple of books that have died over the years.
As for the neckbeards…they’ve got sod all social skills and even less places for them to vent. Hardly surprising result, you can led a troll to water but you can’t make them drink nicely.
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